A picture shows a burnt building at the US consulate compound in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi on September 13, 2012 following an attack late on September 11 in which the US ambassador to Libya and three other US nationals were killed. Libya said it has made arrests and opened a probe into the attack, amid speculation that Al-Qaeda rather than a frenzied mob was to blame. AFP PHOTO/GIANLUIGI GUERCIA (Photo credit should read GIANLUIGI GUERCIA/AFP/GettyImages)

(CNN) - A review board responsible for investigating the September attack on the U.S. diplomatic compound in Libya is now getting its own review.

The office of the State Department's inspector general is doing a special review of the "effectiveness and accountability" of the Accountability Review Board (ARB) process, according to Doug Welty, a spokesman for the IG's office.FULL POST

CNN's GUT CHECK | for May 2, 2013 | 5 p.m.
– n. a pause to assess the state, progress or condition of the political news cycle

DEVELOPING: TENTH STATE SET TO MAKE SAME-SEX MARRIAGE LEGAL… Rhode Island was set to become the tenth state in the nation, and the last in New England, to legalize same-sex marriage Thursday as final legislation cleared procedural hurdles in the state legislature. Gov. Lincoln Chafee, an independent, has pledged to sign the bill immediately following its final passage.

REPEALED: O’MALLEY SIGNS DEATH PENALTY REPEAL… Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, a potential Democratic presidential candidate, signed legislation into law today that ends his state’s use of the death penalty. In those cases in which the state has filed a notice to seek a death sentence, "the notice shall be considered withdrawn and it shall be considered a notice to seek a sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole under specified circumstances," according to O'Malley’s office.

MARKET WATCH: U.S. stocks rally on positive jobs data at home and a rate cut abroad. NASDAQ adds 1.3% to close at 12-year high.

(CNN) - The latest example of conservative backlash against Sen. Marco Rubio for his role as one of the Senate leaders pushing for comprehensive immigration reform came Thursday on the cover of the right-leaning publication "National Review."

The cover shows Rubio laughing at a press conference announcing the immigration bill last month, with the words "Rubio's Folly" underneath. Fellow Republican Sen. John McCain appears on the cover as well, along with Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer.FULL POST

Washington (CNN) - When it comes to the White House, the term "Madam President" has become more of a possibility in recent years, but one group wants to make sure it becomes reality-and soon.

EMILY's List, a political organization that works to get Democratic women elected to public office, kicked off a new campaign Thursday to further drive home the idea that the country is ready for a woman president.FULL POST

(CNN) - Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee signed a bill legalizing same-sex marriage after the state legislature approved the measure Thursday, making Rhode Island the tenth state in the nation to give same-sex couples the right to wed.

Last week both the Rhode Island House and Senate approved by large margins measures allowing same-sex marriage, but more votes were required after the legislation was tweaked. The law will go into effect August 1.FULL POST

Washington (CNN) - President Barack Obama will fill out his Cabinet nominations Thursday morning when he taps Penny Pritzker as his commerce secretary and Michael Froman as his U.S. trade representative, a senior administration official said.

The official White House announcement will take place at 10 a.m. ET in the Rose Garden. Both positions would need to be approved by the Senate.

(CNN) - A second straight national poll this week indicates the obvious: Hillary Clinton, if she decides to run for the White House again, would be the overwhelming front-runner among Democrats for their party's 2016 presidential nomination.

(CNN) - As Congress begins to tackle immigration reform, a new poll indicates there's been a drop in support over the last month for a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.

According to a Quinnipiac University survey released Thursday, 52% favor such a proposal in the new poll, down from 59% who said the same thing in an April 4 survey, taken before the Boston Marathon bombings.FULL POST